Backgammon All About Backgammon

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In astonishingly general terms, there are three main tactics used. You must be agile enough to hop between strategies instantly as the course of the match unfolds.

The Blockade

This comprises of creating a 6-deep wall of checkers, or at a minimum as deep as you might manage, to block in your opponent's pieces that are located on your 1-point. This is considered to be the most suitable course of action at the start of the game. You can create the wall anywhere between your eleven-point and your 2-point and then shift it into your home board as the match progresses.

The Blitz

This is composed of closing your home board as quickly as as you can while keeping your challenger on the bar. e.g., if your competitor tosses an early 2 and shifts one checker from your 1-point to your three-point and you then roll a 5-5, you are able to play 6/1 6/1 8/3 8/3. Your competitor is now in serious difficulty seeing that they have two checkers on the bar and you have closed half your inside board!

The Backgame

This plan is where you have 2 or higher pieces in your competitor's home board. (An anchor is a point consisting of at least two of your checkers.) It needs to be employed when you are significantly behind as it much improves your chances. The better places for anchor spots are near your competitor's lower points and also on adjoining points or with a single point separating them. Timing is integral for a powerful backgame: besides, there's no point having two nice anchors and a complete wall in your own inner board if you are then forced to break down this straight away, while your opponent is moving their pieces home, considering that you do not have other spare checkers to move! In this case, it's better to have pieces on the bar so that you might preserve your position up until your challenger provides you a chance to hit, so it can be a great idea to try and get your challenger to get them in this situation!